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Tiger King put such little focus on the abuse animals suffered at the hands of Joe Exotic that he is being glorified on social media as some sort of folk hero. If you watched #TigerKing 
and care about animals, please read this story by @Rachael_Bale: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/captive-tigers-joe-exotic-tiger-king/
and care about animals, please read this story by @Rachael_Bale: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/captive-tigers-joe-exotic-tiger-king/
Tiger cubs used for tourist petting are speed-bred and ripped from their mothers at birth, so she can quickly breed again. At 12 weeks, they're too dangerous to interact with visitors. They may become breeders themselves, or go on exhibit. Some are killed: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/11/tigers-in-the-united-states-outnumber-those-in-the-wild-feature/
Joe was convicted in January of SEVENTEEN wildlife crime charges. Including, as @sguynup writes, shooting 5 tigers in the head to make room for new ones. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/01/tiger-king-joe-exotic-sentenced-22-years-violence-tigers-murder-hire/
Back to the folk hero thing. Celebrities like @iamcardib called for his release. @LisaFrank made a cute illustration of Joe and a tiger, delighting fans and meme accounts. People "STAN the LEGEND Joe Exotic." None of this is surprising—this is what #TigerKing 's framing created.
's framing created.
And Doc Antle? He runs Myrtle Beach Safari & claims he's sold a MILLION tiger photo ops. His businesses have spent $1.1 million lobbying against captive big cat protections. His family has set up Cameo accounts, where you can pay them $100 for a shoutout: https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1245384480950571010?s=20
Doc Antle has also delivered tigers to Samut Prakarn Crocodile Farm & Zoo in Thailand, where @kirstenluce and I documented animal abuse, including an elderly tiger with a dental abscess so severe it was rotting out the bottom of his jaw: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/06/global-wildlife-tourism-social-media-causes-animal-suffering/
Carole Baskin runs @BigCatRescue, a globally accredited nonprofit that rescues abused and neglected big cats in the U.S. She has also, for years, advocated for federal big cat protection laws.
Let me be clear: Baskin's work to protect and rescue animals is heavily documented.
Let me be clear: Baskin's work to protect and rescue animals is heavily documented.
#TigerKing is entertainment much more than it is documentary journalism. Period. Hidden behind the personal drama that gave Netflix a huge hit is systemic animal suffering. Please check out the links I've shared above to learn more about the tiger victims who don't have a voice.
is entertainment much more than it is documentary journalism. Period. Hidden behind the personal drama that gave Netflix a huge hit is systemic animal suffering. Please check out the links I've shared above to learn more about the tiger victims who don't have a voice.
